Academician L.S. Berg – 145. International Conference. Bender: Eco-TIRAS, 2021.

THE PRECIPITATIONS IMPACT ON EROSIONAL STABILITY

OF THE LOWER BIC PLANE

Angela Canţîr
Institute of Ecology and Geography, Laboratory of Geomorphology and Ecopedology,
Chisinau, Moldova, e-mail: angelamadan87@gmail.com

Introduction
Climate as a natural factor is of particular interest in the evaluation of geomorphological processes and
the conditions of their emergence and development [1]. For a more complex and detailed assessment of
direct and indirect impacts of the climatic factor on erosion processes, in this study those climatic variables
were considered, which have a catalytic role in their development. An especial attention was paid to precip-
itation − the very important factor in geomorphology that is very well evident in the gullies and landslides
forming. Depending on precipitation type and amount, and in combination with lithology, slopes, soil tex-
ture, vegetation cover, etc., these exogenous processes emerge and develop with a different intensity. For
example, it is known that landslides having a considerable surface area such those in Mălăieşti or Colonita
are semi-stable landslides, but under the action of precipitation and long human activity are partially reac-
tivated [2]. Using the indices, which provide a possibility to calculate climate impacts with a minimum risk
of wrong results, the pluvial aggression [3] was calculated for the entire territory.
The goal of this work was to analyze and highlight the importance to take precipitation into account in
the assessment of surface erosion in the Lower Bic Plane.

Study area
The Lower Bic Plain is located in the central-eastern part of Moldova (Fig. 1). Its area is about 2282
km2 and includes, totally or partially, the basins of Bic, Botna, Baltata and Calintir rivers. The boundaries of
the study area were established according to [4]. The plain is bordered with four geomorphological units:
to the northwest – the Bic’s Codrii height; to the northeast and east – the Lower Dniester Plain, to the
south-southeast – the Cogilnic Plain, and in the south-southwestern – the Midddle Cogilnic height.

Fig.1 The physico-geographical map of the Lower Bic Plane and its location in Moldova
The climate of the Lower Bic Plain is temperate continental, with mild winters and warm and long
summers. The mean annual air temperature is from 10.0°C to 10.5°C (Fig. 2). The mean annual precipita-
tion ranges from 400 to 650 mm; the maximum precipitation are registered in the central part of the plain.
The precipitation spatial distribution is characterized by great variability over time [4, 5].
The least precipitation are observed in the eastern part of the area (less than 450 mm/year), in the con-
fluence of the Bic and Nistru Rivers. As we move to the west, throughout the Dniester basin, the increase of
annual precipitations (on average by 50-100 mm) takes place (Fig. 3). The rest territory is characterized by
precipitation of about 500-550 mm/year. The largest precipitation were recorded at altitudes of 226-234 m,
in the Anenii Noi and Ialoveni rayons [5].

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Акад. Л.С. Бергу – 145 лет. Международная конференция. Бендеры: Eco-TIRAS, 2021.

Fig. 2 Mean annual temperature and precipitation in the Lower Bic Plane
Source: Climate map, 1: 500 000 [5]
In the annual course, the maximum precipitation is observed in July, with an average value of 71.7
mm, and the minimum – in February, with an average value of 24 mm (Fig. 3).

Fig.3 Monthly average precipitation (mm) at Moldova’s four weather stations in 1992-2012

Material and methods

As an initial material there were used precipitation data at four weather stations located in the Lower
Bic Plain (Bălţata, Dubăsari, Chisinau and Tiraspol), in 1992-2012.
Generally, the main parameters of climate, which determine an erosion process, are wind and precip-
itation, especially, rainfall. The rainfall erosion impact depends on its intensity, which leads to the accu-
mulation of a water volume, and the rainfall duration, expressed by rainfall aggression [6]. Rainfall aggres-
sion can be calculated, using different indices. In order to estimate the erosion intensity in the study area
through the rainfall aggression, the Modified Fournier Index (IFM) was used, calculated by the following
formula [7]:

Where:
IFM – the Modified Fournier Index;
Pi – monthly precipitation;
P – annual precipitation.
The values of this index for each station are represented, using the rainfall aggression class (Table 1)
established on the basis of the IFMs calculations.

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 Academician L.S. Berg – 145. International Conference. Bender: Eco-TIRAS, 2021.

Table 1. Rain aggression classes based on IFM, by [7]

Class MFI Rainfall aggression
I <60 Very low
II 60 – 90 Low
III 90 – 120 Moderate
IV 120 – 160 High
V > 160 Very high

Results and discussions

The long-term values of the Modified Fournier Index calculated for the period 1992-2011 were between
23.54 at Bălţata weather station in 1994 and 63.49 at Dubăsari weather station in 2010. Chisinau weather
station is the only one at which IFM value more 60 was obtained (61.2 in 2010). At the rest stations, all IFM
values were below 60. Thus, according to the rainfall aggression class, the Lower Bic Plane falls in class I and
class II, being subjected to a risk of the very low and low aggressions (Fig. 5).

Fig.4 Annual MFI values in the different zones of the Lower Bic Plain
Analyzing the obtained results (Fig.4), we can conclude that the highest rainfall aggression and, cor-
respondently, a surface erosion risk was observed in 2010 in the Dubasari and Chisinau parts of the plane,
where the IFM values amounted up 63.49 and 61.20, respectively, followed by Tiraspol (57.78) and Bălţata
(54.75).

Сonclusion
The method of estimating the risk of surface erosion through the rainfall aggression was applied for the
precipitation regime recorded at weather stations located in the Lower Bic Plain. According to the Modified
Fournier Index, the study area falls in class I and class II of pluvial aggression, thus being subjected to a very
low and low pluvial aggression risk.
However, the erosion processes as such depends not only on precipitation level but also on the territo-
ry’s morphodynamic characteristics, as well as on the rainfall duration and intensity.

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